07 Jul Totem: Connections to the Monolith

In Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, a mysterious black monolith appears at key points in the story. Although its true nature and purpose are left open to interpretation, it is portrayed as profoundly influencing humanity. 

In the movie, the monolith’s enigmatic force challenges human understanding and perception, bringing significant leaps in human evolution.

In Native American culture, a totem symbolizes a tribe or group’s collective spiritual history and identity. Like Kubrick’s monolith, a totem embodies a community’s wisdom, stories, and experiences throughout the ages. 

In an archetypical sense, the vision of a totem and monolith symbolizes a connection to something greater than the individual, embodying a group’s collective consciousness and spirituality.

In the ‘Totem’ Art Series, the main subject is a monolith named ‘Totem,’ an enigmatic structure representing a connection to the spiritual realm, transcending individual experiences and reaching into the depths of human history and consciousness. Through its cryptic presence, the ‘Totem’ evokes a sense of something primordial, feeling like a timeless symbol that defies easy explanation and invites contemplation. 

It provokes questions about humanity’s nature and our place in the cosmos. Thus, the Art series itself alludes to a universal theme of human spirituality.

Here, art appreciation serves as the catalyst for reflecting on the profound connection between humanity and the metaphysical world. 

The act of creating art and the experience of it are manifestations of the human desire to transcend the physical and explore the spiritual and metaphysical aspects of existence. 

Art can evoke deep emotional and spiritual responses in both the creator and the audience, providing a channel for exploring themes of transcendence, interconnectedness, and the mysteries of existence.

Art appreciation, similarly, involves contemplating and interpreting artistic works, allowing individuals to engage with profound and meaningful expressions of the human experience. 

Through art, individuals can connect with something beyond the tangible, tapping into the collective unconscious, the wellspring of human creativity and spirituality.

 

In a parapsychological sense, art and art appreciation can be seen as echoes of the metaphysical world, offering glimpses into universal truths and timeless aspects of the human condition.

Here, the Totem represents the creative spirit that permeates art, highlighting humanity’s innate yearning for greater understanding, connection, and transcendence, reflecting the profound and enduring link between the human experience and the metaphysical realm.